Improvement in mail-bag catches



BJNITED STATES PATENT EEICEo MICHAEL VIIITE, OF TOWANDA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO JOHN M. RAHM, OF SAME PLACE. f

ynvlPRovEMEN'r IN MAIL-BAG cATcHEs.

Spccilisation forming part of Letters Patent No. 147,085, dated February 3, 1874; application filed December 26, 1873.

.To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL WHITE, of Towanda, in the county of Bradford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Holders 5 and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description oi' the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, which form part of this speciication.

The object of my invention is to furnislra convenient and useful apparatus for use as a safety holder for mail-bags, for delivery from railroad-stations upon passing trains; and the nature of my invention consists in so constructing such mail-bag holder that it may be used both on a single or double track road, and when used on a double-track road the inail-bags may be taken from it while the cars are in rapid motion upon either track, and `when the holder is not in use, there shall be no projecting arms that might come in contact with passing trains, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which- Figure lis a front elevation of my inail-bag holder. Fig. 2 is a side view of a part thereof, showing the connection of the lower arm; and Fig. 3 is a section, showing the connection of the upper arm.

A represents a stand of any suitable construction, which isto be made stationary at either side of a single-track railroad, or between the two tracks of a double-track road. From this stand A rise two parallel uprights or standards, B B, which are such a distance apart as to receive between them the two arms C and D, and allow said arms to turn freely on their pivots between the uprights. rIhe upper arm O is pivoted through its center by a bolt, a., between the upper ends of the uprights or standards B B. This arm C is made tapering, as shown, or .otherwise so constructed that one end shall be heavier than the other, and hence, when the holder is not in use, this arm will turn upon its pivot a and assume a perpendicular position, the larger or heavier end being concealed between the uprights, and the smaller or lighter end projecting above and on a line with the same. The pivot a, which holds the arm 0,.

urally falls down between and is concealed by the uprights or standards. Above and on each side of the pivot b is a bolt, d, passed through the uprights B B, toiform stops for the lower arm D, so that when raised to either side it can never be elevated above a horizontal line. At the smaller end of the arm C, and at the outer end of the arm D, is a pin, x, projecting outward, and upon these pins the mail-bag is placed, as shown in Fig. 1, the arms being placed in a horizontal position, and thus hold the mail-bag close to the cars, the bag being then caught by the mail-agent on the train as. the cars pass rapidly by. lVhen the bag has been thus caught, the arms C D at once, of their own accord, assume a perpendicular position, as above described.

This mail-bag holder may be, and is intended to be, stationary, and can be used, when located between the two tracks of a double-track road, upon either side, or for vtrains passing upon either track.

I am aware that devices for holding mailbags to be caught by persons upon passing trains are not new; hence I disclaim such as being, broadly, my invention; but

That I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isf l. The swinging arms C and D, pivoted between two upi'iglits, B 15, upon n stationary stand, A, so that they may be used upon either side, and when not in use will assume n perpendicular position, all combined substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the uprights B B, pivoted arm C, and double-:Loting yoke G, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination of the uprights B B, pivoted zu'm D, and stops cl d, substantially ns und for the purposes set fort-lx.

4. The combination of the stand A, uprights B B, pivoted arms C D, yoke G, and stops d d, all constructed to operate substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I ela-im the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 17th day of December, 1873.

MICHAEL VHITE.

Witnesses DAVID SHERIDAN, Guo. H. GRANGER.. 

